Curlers compete for spots on national team

Local and out-of-state athletes competed Saturday for five spots on the National Wheelchair Curling Team, which will go on to the world championship in Switzerland this winter.

Vanessa Ebbeling

Local and out-of-state athletes competed Saturday for five spots on the National Wheelchair Curling Team, which will go on to the world championship in Switzerland this winter.

The competition took place at the Utica Curling Club on Clark Mills Road and showed how many opportunities have become available in the area for people in wheelchairs in recent years, said Sherri Harris-Game of Utica.

Her 17-year-old son Kevin Burnside Jr., who competed Saturday, was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair “on and off,” she said.

“I thought it was the biggest honor in the world,” she said of the location of the national trials. “It’s a great opportunity. I’m excited and I’m nervous.”

“You don’t really have to travel that far or go to another state,” Burnside said.

Harris-Game recalled how few opportunities existed locally for her son to participate in sports when he was younger. Now, in addition to curling, he also participates in the Boilermaker and wheelchair basketball, she said.

Burnside only started curling a month ago to prepare for the national trials, which will continue today.

The Utica Curling Club was the perfect location for the competition because the facility is top-notch, and it’s accessible to people in wheelchairs, said Marc DePerno, co-chair of the national selection trials.

Next month, the facility will host an international wheelchair competition, featuring teams from Scotland, Norway and Canada, he said.

Community volunteers have been extremely supportive of the program, he said.

“It’s helped us develop what is probably the best wheelchair program in the country,” he said.

Athletes traveled from Massachusetts, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Texas and Nevada to compete this weekend, DePerno said.

Those chosen for the team will travel to Switzerland in February for the World Wheelchair Curling Championships.